So Much to write...So little time!!!

So, I haven´t had time to read anyone´s emails, but I promise I will....after email time though! :)  I have so many things to tell all of you!

 

First, last Tuesday we had the greatest devotional!!!  It was by F. Melvin Hammond (emeritus seventy) and his wife, Bonnie.  Basically I love them!  Sister Hammond talked to us about going out cheerfully.  She also talked about how when you use music in the lessons that it is magical...that made me smile.  The way she talked about the Boook of Mormon was also inspiring.  she and her husband read from the Book of Mormon in English and Spanish everyday together.  She very passionately talked about the hard work that went into learning Spanish and how she cherishes that language through reading and studying the Book of Mormon in Spanish.  After she spoke she accompanied her husband in singing...oh dang, I can´t remember and I forgot to write it down.  It was incredibly sweet though!  Elder Hammond then gave us 4 promises of devine knowledge we will gain through the Holy Ghost. 1. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, 2. Those who pursue and ask will gain a testimony of the truth and divinity that the book is true, 3. Joseph Smith is God´s revelator and prophet, 4. The Church is the Lord´s kingdom again on the Earth in preparation of the second coming.  He also told us that every soul we can get to read the Book of Mormon will be able to recieve those same promises.  I could go on, I just adored them!  They reminged me so much of Grandma and Grandpa Mickelsen...it made me very happy.  I just wanted to go up and hug them at the end of the devotional.

 

Ok, Sunday´s fireside was also fantastic!  We got to hear from Steven B. Allen.  He´s important at the MTC, and he´s awesome, I just can´t remember what he does.  He used to be a producer for the Church and was in charge of all the LDS commercials for a while.  We watche d commercials the whole time!  I just laughed and laughed.  It´s funny that you can avoid commercials your whole life, but after no TV for 6 weeks LDS commercials are more than welcome (and the Testaments is legit entertainment!)  I just want to share some of the taglines...they´re cute!  "When everything says you can't, believe in the part of you that says you can." "It's not who youi aren't, it's who you are. And being yourself is being great."  "Sometimes the most important thing you can give is yourself." "It's often life's small moments that bring the greatest memories.  Don't let the magic passyou by."  "The people in your heart can't see what's in your heart.  You need to let them know what's in your heart everyday"  "How [companions] feel about themselves is often how they see themselves."  "Sharing, it's the icing on the cake"  "If you think childish arguments don't hurt your marriage (or companionship) don't kid yourself."  "Whatever you do in life just do your best."  K, so I know they're cheesey, but hey, I'm a missionary, they're true, and it was entertaining!  :)

 

Two last things and then I'm out of time :(

 

First, one of our teachers went to Lake Mead last weekend and we had subs on thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Well, he taught us again last night and told us about this dream he had while on his trip.  So in his dream he got another mission call.  He was worried about it because he just didn't have the time to serve another two year mission.  Well, he didn't tell anyone but somehow he ended up back in the MTC all dressed like a missionary with his suitcases and tag and everything.  He thought about all the things he was supposed to be doing (school, finding a wife, etc.) but the thing that made him want to break out of the MTC was the fact that his missionaries (my district) didn't have a teacher.  He spent most of his dream trying to find us and started freaking out because he couldn't, so he decided to break out.  He had a whole plan of taking off his tag and finding a visitors badge but he woke up before he could do it.  So, in short, our teacher missed us :)

 

Last, and I need to type fast, the fire alarm went off in our building at 2:00 AM last night.  It was the LOUDEST thing I've ever heard and it completely emptied the building (no fire...they don't know why it went off).  But here's the story: I got out of bed, realized what was happening (through a serious half-asleep fog) and the first thing I grabbed wasn't my shoes or my glasses...it was my nametag!  hahahahahaha, NO ONE else had theirs, but I, for some reason, just HAD to have mine before anything else.  Yeah, I'm definitely a missionary!!!  hahahahahaha

 

Out of time! Bye :)

 

~Sister McClellan

HALF WAY through the MTC!!!!!

So this computer won't print my emails...and as I am timed that means I've only glanced at the ones people have sent me.

 

Mom: Thank you so much for the package!!!  It means so much to read that I am loved :)

 

So, all of the older districts left yesterday.  I miss them more than I thought I would.  (Especially Sister Myrick...she and I got close.)  Well...yeah.  It's a lot quieter with no natives (they have got to be the loudest people in the MTC) and the older districts were just so cool.  there was a lot of excitement and a lot of crying yesterday...and the occasional "what have I gotten myself into", but it was great.  They're all going to be such good missionaries!

 

So I auditioned this week and didn't get asked to perform.  I instead got asked to come back this week with a different song (I auditioned with Amazing Grace and this week I got asked to sing O Divine Redeemer).  I keep trying to meet with my accompanist, Elder Jepson going to the Japan Kobe (I think) mission, but our schedules clash a little.  He's a really amazing pianist!

 

This week we get to teach our first all Korean lesson in the TRC...it's pretty exciting, my companion and I have been working on the vocabulary we need to be able to teach this lesson.

 

Ok, so I really don't know what to write about...let me think....hmmmm....OH!!!!  Evan!  Congratulations on turning 12, getting the priesthood, and getting to be able to go to the temple...that is all so exciting!!!  You are sooooo awesome!  All my friends here are excited for you too!!!

 

Oh and mom, I thought about what I want for my birthday.  When the natives came they all had these PMGs with Korean on one side of the book and English on the other (so you were looking at the book and the page on the left was in Korean and the page on the right was in English) and you can get all the pdfs somewhere online...If you could make me one of those that would be great (because you can't buy them) and if it could be a little one...that would be cool.  While I've been here I actually did get a little PMG in English.  It's about the same size as my scriptures.  Elder Finlinson in my district's mom made him one through alphagraphics and now everyone who sees his wants one, so he has his mom send them and people buy them...it's really funny!

 

Oh, so I just got put in as branch music director.  I find the whole leading music while singing in Korean (which I'm still not very good at) a little overwhelming, but it's so exciting!

 

Well, I'm sorry, but right now is one of those few times in my life where I just don't know what to say.  So I guess I'm done!

 

I love you all and hope you are all doing well.  I love the letters and packages you send (and if you don't want to take the time to write a letter, dear elder is awesome for that)...please send me your addresses so I can write you all better!

 

Love, Sister McClellan!!!

So, it's been another week in the MTC...

Hello everyone!!!

So, a lot of the novelty of the MTC has worn off. I don't know what people do when they're only here for 3 weeks...I'm starting week 5 and I feel like I just got here (well, in some regards I also feel like I never had a life before the MTC.) So, Nothing tooooo exciting has happened. We still have our older districts...but today is their last P-day...they're all leaving on MONDAY!!! It's crazy! I am seriously going to miss them soooo so much! It feels a little like high school around here right now with all the Koreans passing around notebooks and journals for people to sign...I love it! Oh...speaking of journals...I'm already almost done with the brand new one I brought and I've only been here four weeks! I didn't realise I'd write so much...wow!

So, one really cool thing that I want to share is about this AMAZING fireside we had on Sunday. It was given by the head-honcho MTC guy, Richard Heaton. He started off by telling us that he wanted to speak about a VERY important principle: repentance. He asked the congregation to come up and share their honest opinions and thoughts on repentance. A lot of people talked about how they understand repentance, but his favorite answers were from the people who felt scared and terrible when they had to repent. He talked to us about the history of the word repentance and how it's Hebrew and Greek roots meant to turn (away from sin and towards God) but that the latin root meant to feel regret/contrition and is the same root as for words like penitent, penitentiary, and penance and that because of the corruption of the bible people like Martin Luther believed that the only true way to repent was from inflicting pain on themselves so they could feel a portion of the suffering of Christ. He then talked of William Tyndale (love that man!) and how when he was translating the bible from Latin to English he made the word repent. It still has the "pent" from the Latin, but it also has the "re" as in return...so now we finally have that thought creeping back into the scriptures. We were then taught a little about the true beauty and joy that comes from repentance. He shared with us some stories of people in his life who had repented...the room ended up in tears...like everyone! After one of his stories he showed a clip of the District (think missionary work reality show, but actually real life...it's amazing!) and he had us watch specifically to see the joy and peace that grew as this woman was going through the repentance process. Now this was a clip we had seen many times in class and had used for an example of how to teach, but watching it form the perspective of the investigator was amazing. Seeing the way she was able to change her life and the joy that she was able to have and how happy her family was...it was amazing! He then began to share scriptures form the book of Alma...this is where I just broke down (Alma is my favorite!) He shared part of Alma 36 (my favorite part) where Alma is teaching his son, Helaman, about his own process of repentance. But it was interesting, because now this scripture hits me harder than it ever has, and it always hits me pretty hard. When Alma is visited by the angel he remembers all his sins and feels the most exquisite pain, but here's what I never realized, as SOON as he says, "O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me..." and that whole part (that seriously fills me with the Spirit every time I read it) as soon as he says that and begins to turn away from sin and finally turn to God, THAT is the moment he begins to feel the most exquisite joy! (if you haven't read Alma 36 lately...you should seriously read it again...it's the best!) We also touched on Alma 26:21 (another favorite chapter in Alma...I pretty much can't go even three days without reading it), Alma 27:18, Alma 42:24, oh I wish I could just share everything with you! It was soooo amazing! Best fireside ever! I'll just share one last thing cuz then I'm out of time (curse my slow wpm)...It's small, but in D&C 109:21 there is a promise given to missionaries. A promise that we can speedily repent...and seriously, how great a promise is that. And I know it's true, because I've already felt it!

Well, I love you all and I honestly wish I had more time...I wish I had time to write you all individually (if you send me your home addresses I can...please PLEASE send me your addresses!!!) I hope you are all doing well and thank you so much for the support you give me. I can feel it! Thanks for the packages (Marilyn) and the emails (grandma) and the letters....and pleeeeaaassee, keep 'em coming...they make my day!

~Sister McClellan :)

Week 2? no 3? wait...this is week 4!!!

So time flies by here.  That first week went by so slow and now all the older district is getting their flight plans this Thursday!!!  It's crazy...I'm going to miss them so much.  Let me just tell you a little about them.  First there's Sister Richardson.  she's the coordinating sister of the zone.  she is so sweet and so pretty and gracious.  The Elders in her district call her mom...it's kind of funny.  She's a dancer and she is just wonderful.  She is in my room with the other sisters in my district and her companion sister Myrick (pronounced just like it looks: my-rick).  She is also pretty awesome.  She knows SO much vocabulary...like SO much!!!  She's funny too...always cracking really dry jokes.  She's convinced that one day she'll marry an Asian...it's pretty funny listening to her talk about it.  And then there's sister McComber and Sister Nelson.  They are in the room next door and they have such a special place in my heart.  Sister McComber is the branch chorister and she is just about the friendliest, happiest sister in the whole world.  Oh, I just love her so much!  And her companion, sister Nelson, is just this little ball of sunshine wherever she goes.  She really likes pretending she's angry all the time, but she is just about the HAPPIEST little blond haired blue eyed person!!!!  We also have Sister Brady, who reminds me so much of my friend Ruthie it's crazy, and Sister Mecham, who is always saying something really funny and never accepting of praise for it, who both came the same day as my companion and me and are in our district.  We also got our natives!!!!!!!  They are so so cute.  There's Sister Lee, perfect tiny Korean girl who is just so nice and so sweet, Sister Jeon (I think that's how you spell it in English) who is just the quintessential gorgeous asian...with freckles!  And then Sister Nam, so funny!!!  she is always getting embarrassed for one reason or another but she is so outgoing and so friendly but also so shy...she is ADORABLE!!!  Oh, I wish you could meet these sisters!!!  The Elders in our zone are pretty fantastic as well.  I don't know them as well, and I really don't know any of the natives (there are six...and they are a blast.  We took temple pictures on Sunday...it was sooooo fun!!!) But I do know the ones in my district, elder Finlinson and Elder Gillis...they are so great.  They still don't know how they feel being outnumbered by Sisters...even more so when they older districts have left.  But they're really great!  And one of the other districts has Elder Miller, Elder Messick, and Elder Porter.  Elder Miller has spent most of his life living in Tokyo and he was actually a model for Gap out there...mainly due to the fact that he's white!  hahaha, it's great!  We've had fun talking about Japan!!!  And then Elder Messick, he is from California and is pretty cool.  I honestly don't know him that well though.  Elder Porter has lived in Utah all his life, first up near Logan and now in St. George.  He has been EVERYWHERE!  It kind of makes me a little jealous.  His sister is also an artist and just got featured in some sort of European fashion/art magazine.  Pretty cool.  The other district has Elder Ward, Elder Jones, Elder Choi, and Elder Olson...and I don't know them well at all.  We all sit at the same table for every meal, and they always sit at one end and I and my companion are usually at the other with Sister McComber, Sister Nelson, Elder Miller, Elder Messick, and Elder Porter...I love my zone!  Pictures will be coming!!!  Oh...and we're all going to be featured in the Korean Liahona soon...they took a picture for it on Sunday!

It was awesome...and not totally random, the MTC let us see the Stadium of Fire fireworks show on Saturday!!!  We had this big fireside that was amazing.  It was all about freedom and not taking it for granted.  They told some stories that are never going to leave our minds.  We all left really loving the United states!!!  and then they gave us chocolate covered ice cream bars, and let us stay up till almost midnight watching the fireworks from the MTC campus....it was packed!  It was so awesome though.  sister Myrick got this great video of the show and the audio is hilarious...its a bunch of the elders from our zone just making some very funny commentary of the whole thing!

Wow, I really type slow...hmmm....yeah, I miss my laptop...I typed much faster and better on it.  Thank you so much for the packages and the letters and my skirt getting fixed...if I had more time I'd have more detail.  Love you all!  Stay Awesome!

~Sister McClellan

P.s. Sorry for typos!